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Today:
Earth's Flipping Magnetic Field Heard as Sound Is an Unforgettable Horror
NEWS | 18 October 2024
Earth's magnetic field dramatically flipped a little more than 40,000 years ago. frameborder="0″ allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen>Generated by the swirling liquid metals in our planet's core, Earth's magnetic field reaches tens to hundreds of thousands of kilometers into space, protecting us all by deflecting atmosphere-stripping solar particles. It took 250 years for the Laschamps reversal to take place and it stayed in the unusual orientation for about 440 years. At most, Earth's magnetic field may have remained at 25 percent of its current strength as the north polarity drifted to the south. Recent magnetic field anomalies like the weakening over the Atlantic ocean have led to questions about an impending reversal today, but recent research suggests these anomalies are not necessarily connected to flipping events.

Top Stories:
Alzheimer's Disease Harms The Brain in 2 Distinct Phases, Study Reveals
NEWS | 18 October 2024
An analysis of the genetic activity of brain cells in individuals who have died with Alzheimer's disease has revealed the condition progresses in two stages; a slow increase in inflammation, followed by a more rapid degeneration. In addition to findings of distinct pathological phases, the researchers uncovered specific damage to cognitively-crucial inhibitory neuron in the first phase. In the past, excitatory neurons – those that activate other neurons – have been linked to Alzheimer's disease. Inhibitory neurons are those that deactivate or calm neurons, so the connection to Alzheimer's here is a new and interesting one. The findings provide important contributions to a comprehensive and publicly available map of the damage Alzheimier's does to the brain known as the Seattle Alzheimer's Disease Brain Cell Atlas (SEA-AD).

World:
Scientists Detected Microplastics in Air Exhaled by Wild Dolphins
NEWS | 18 October 2024
(Miranda Dziobak/College of Charleston, CC BY-SA)Our study found the microplastic particles exhaled by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are similar in chemical composition to those identified in human lungs. Since dolphins and humans inhale similar plastic particles, dolphins may be at risk for the same lung problems. What still isn't knownScientists estimate the oceans contain many trillions of plastic particles, which get there through runoff, wastewater or settling from the air. But for the tiny plastic particles floating in the air, this connection isn't always true. Exhaled breath is collected from a dolphin during a wild dolphin health assessment in Barataria Bay in Louisiana.

Current Events:
Cannabis Can Leave a Distinct Mark on Your DNA, Study Reveals
NEWS | 18 October 2024
But our recent study has just brought us closer to understanding the biological impact of high-potency cannabis use. Published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, our study demonstrates that high-potency cannabis leaves a distinct mark on DNA. Psychotic disorders associated with daily use of high-potency cannabis often manifest through a range of symptoms. Of those who had used cannabis, the majority had been using high-potency cannabis more than once a week – and had started when they were around 16 years old. DNA signatureOur findings revealed that using high-potency cannabis alters DNA methylation – particularly in genes related to energy and immune system functions.

News Flash:
Secret Tomb Discovered in One of Archaeology's Most Famous Wonders
NEWS | 18 October 2024
One of the most famous facades in all the world has been concealing a deep secret. Underneath the iconic and intricately carved Treasury building at the center of the renowned archaeological site Petra, excavators have stumbled upon a long-lost crypt holding 12 skeletons. "It looked nearly identical to the Holy Grail featured in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, set in the ancient building directly above the tomb. By 700 CE, Petra was inexplicably abandoned, and eventually its Treasury building was emptied of artifacts. As a result, no one really knows how old the Treasury building is or what it was used for.

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Remote Monitoring App
SPONSORED | 18 October 2024
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Latest:
Your IQ in High School Can Predict Your Alcohol Use Later in Life
NEWS | 18 October 2024
A teenager's IQ could be oddly predictive of their beverage choices later in life, and scientists don't know why that is. Those with higher IQ scores, however, were less likely to report binge-drinking episodes. But it does suggest that IQ scores are linked to social factors that may influence drinking in mid-life. Previous studies have also linked higher IQ scores to higher household incomes. Binge drinking was ultimately less common among women than men, and among both groups, higher IQ scores predicted less binge-drinking in the future, not more.

Breaking:
We Finally Know Where Most Meteorites on Earth Actually Came From
NEWS | 18 October 2024
One study team was also able to put dates to notable collisions in these asteroid families, causing fresh cascades of rock that would end up on Earth. That means most meteorites that strike Earth today are from fewer asteroid groups than might have been expected – and from more recent collision events, too. The researchers also looked at other less common meteorites beyond the H and L chondrites, pushing the number of accounted-for meteorites past 90 percent. These were assigned to asteroid families including Veritas, Polana, and Eos. "Future work should focus on the few remaining classes – essentially, iron meteorites, pallasites, and ureilites," write the researchers in another of their published papers.

Trending:
It's Official: NASA Declares The Solar Maximum Is Happening Now
NEWS | 18 October 2024
Brace yourselves, Earthlings: NASA, the NOAA, and the Solar Cycle Prediction Panel have officially declared that solar maximum is now underway. "This announcement doesn't mean that this is the peak of solar activity we'll see this solar cycle," says meteorologist Elsayed Talaat of NOAA. "While the Sun has reached the solar maximum period, the month that solar activity peaks on the Sun will not be identified for months or years." "We can't reliably predict solar cycles," solar astrophysicist Michael Wheatland of the University of Sydney, Australia told ScienceAlert in 2022. It's true that the current solar cycle is significantly stronger than the initial predictions made by NASA and the NOAA, but it's not the strongest solar cycle that we've ever seen, and it's still within normal limits.

This Just In:
October's Supermoon Is The Largest of 2024 – Here's When to See It
NEWS | 18 October 2024
When and where to see October's supermoonUnlike constellations and meteor showers, the supermoon is easily visible from almost any location on Earth. That's what will happen, starting Wednesday evening, which will result in a supermoon that appears about 14% brighter than average, Space.com reported. While you don't need special equipment to see the supermoon, Ryle suggests checking it out through a telescope, if you can. "This one is technically the largest supermoon of the four, edging out the one in September by just a little bit," Ryle said. Supermoons are relatively common, so if you miss this one, you won't need to wait long for the next one.

Today:
We Just Got More Evidence That Long COVID Is a Brain Injury
NEWS | 18 October 2024
The exact nature of long COVID is still coming to light, but we just got some of the best evidence yet that this debilitating condition stems from a brain injury. Signs of brain inflammation were present up to 18 months after first contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Fatigue, breathlessness, and elevated heart rates are some of the most common symptoms of long COVID. What's more, autopsy studies on those who have died with long COVID have shown inflamed brainstems with tissue degeneration. In living brains of those with long COVID, however, conventional MRI studies have shown no structural abnormalities in the brainstem.

Top Stories:
Ultra-Rare Case of Man With Three Penises Unlike Anything on Record
NEWS | 18 October 2024
An extraordinary case of a man with three penises was just described in the scientific literature. Only one other report describes a triple penis or 'triphallia', and this previous case was obvious from the outset. Among previously published cases of diphallia, researchers at Birmingham found six reports of internal penis formation, where the extra shaft is concealed within the skin. If the urethra started developing in the secondary penis, it could have jumped over to the primary penis when the continued growth of the internal penis failed. The study was published in the Journal of Medical Case Reports.

World:
Nanoparticles Therapy Could Wipe Out Plaque Build-Up in Arteries
NEWS | 18 October 2024
"Using PET [positron-emission tomography] scans, we were able to measure the effects of the therapy on pig arteries," says biomedical engineer Bryan Smith of Michigan State University. Over time, for a number of reasons, efferocytosis can be overwhelmed by plaque build-up. Second, the treatment was shown to be targeted enough that there was no noticeable collateral damage inside the arteries. "We saw none of the side effects that would have been anticipated had the therapy not been precisely targeted," says Smith. The research team is now investigating ways to prepare these nanoparticle agents for human clinical trials.

Current Events:
Experts Reveal The 'Secret Engine' Behind Science's Endless Growth
NEWS | 18 October 2024
The education revolution: Science's secret engineIn many ways, the world's scientific capacity has been built upon the educational aspirations of young adults pursuing higher education. Over the past 125 years, increasing demand for and access to higher education has sparked a global education revolution. Now, more than two-fifths of the world's young people ages 19-23, although with huge regional differences, are enrolled in higher education. This revolution is the engine driving scientific research capacity. That's because the funds from higher education subsidize research costs, and higher education trains the next generation of scientists.

News Flash:
Study Reveals The Brain Divides The Day Into Chapters Like a Book
NEWS | 18 October 2024
So perhaps it comes as little surprise that the human brain keeps track of narratives in discrete chunks not unlike the chapters of a book. A study by researchers at Columbia University in the US builds on what we already know about this 'chapterization' of our lives, confirming new sections are marked with a noticeable change in brain activity as we move from place to place or activity to activity. The new research reveals a personalized process, based on what's important to us and what our priorities are. "Our research found that isn't the case: the brain is, in fact, actively organizing our life experiences into chunks that are meaningful to us." In some cases their brain activity was monitored, while in others the volunteers were asked to indicate when a new part of the story started by pushing a button.